Fire Emblem will finally start the turnaround for Fire Emblem in the West, that's for sure. Declining sales for the series are probably the reason the second DS title wasn't localized. Nintendo is pushing Awakening pretty hard, enough that I hope it will be the best-selling iteration since the GBA titles.
It won't be a huge, blockbuster release. And it's not so much the game itself as the timing that matters. But February 4th is the day the 3DS begins its Western comeback, yes. Starting with Fire Emblem, but not necessarily because of it.
As I mentioned, Nintendo is pushing Fire Emblem pretty hard from what I can tell, so I expect it to have decent first-week sales (but no legs). It'll push hardware a little higher -- and it'll stay higher. The next week, North Amercians are hit with a few minor titles, Brain Age, Sonic Racing, and Pro Evolution Soccer, which should help maintain sales for a few weeks (though certainly not push them very far). At the end of February, Etrian Odyssey IV comes out, which should help keep sales up.
March is loaded to high hell with games that can (and should) push systems, like Castlevania, Monster Hunter, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, and (above all) Luigi's Mansion. Finally, a cavalcade of big releases. Hardware should stay decent until Animal Crossing hits, and then get your body ready for Pokémon.
